Acer India pledges support to skin donation

Information and Communication technology company, Acer India recently announced the 'Touch of Joy' initiative, as a part of the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR), here.

As a part of this initiative, the company will be partnering with Rotary Clubs across India and organize awareness camps to educate people about the need for skin donation while dispelling common myths about the process.

S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India, said, "Touch is the first language, the first sense that we acquire. After all, we come equipped with an ability to send and receive emotional signals solely through touch."

Rajendran said, "We, at Acer, are proud to harness the power of this medium of communication through our innovative devices, enabling our consumers to explore beyond the limits. The need for skin donation is a pressing social issue and we are determined to make a difference to society through this noble cause."

According to the officials, while awareness about organ donation is on the rise, awareness on skin donation is still not high.

Cadaver skin donation can prove to be a fresh lease of life for burn victims since burn research suggests that skin grafted onto a severe burn victim is a life-saver for the victim, the officials informed.

Burn injuries, on the rise in India, are the second largest group of injuries after road accidents.

On an average 7 million1 people receive burn injuries every year, out of which, while 1.5 lakhs2 lose their lives and about 2.5 lakh3 victims are left crippled due to severe burn injuries, the officials said.

Acer noted that the specialized centers for treatment of burns are very meager in India and only exist in metros and few cities.

There is a severe shortage of beds for burn victims, only 800-1000 beds for the entire Indian population of over 1.23 billion.

Thus a majority of burn patients are treated by general surgeons and general practitioners, often with negligible special facilities.

The cost of cadaver skin is very low as compared to commercially available synthetic skin substitutes that are extremely expensive.

There is a need to establish more skin banks and encourage skin donations, healing burn victims all across the country, the company said.

Rajendran added, "It is unfortunate that every year, thousands of burn victims lose their life due to a dearth of skin donors. Through our Touch of Joy campaign, we aim to break new ground in terms of raising awareness about skin donation and encouraging people to nominate themselves for this cause."